2015 : The Last Year of Ryoji Kaji

The Evangelion Photo Book - 2015 : The Last Year of Ryoji Kaji - (collector's edition) was released in Japan in June 1997. It contained 30 CG photo's and 16 "reports" by Ryoji Kaji himself. The book was produced by Kadokawa Shoten, ISBN4-04-852704-5 C0076, is B5 Size, full colour and sold originally for 4800 yen plus tax. It contains important information about Neon Genesis Evangelion in much the same way as the NewType Collections would, or the GroundWork of Evangelion books. The collector's edition is very rare (apparently it was limited to 2015 copies, the normal edition is limited but certainly not to only that amount) and almost impossible to get nowadays, it is sought after not only because the artworks is so good, but also because the "reports" give important insight into Kaji's motivations and his personality.

The following are translations of the "reports" contained within the book (it's a Japanese book so the originals were in Japanese of course). I take no credit for the translations, they have been circulating around the Eva fan community for the past 4 or so years and I am not sure where they originated from. I have checked the translation for consistency though and it is reliable. Each "report" is formatted different to depending on how it was written in the original book, and they are all "gathered" in different ways, as shown at the end of each "report".

Which one do you want to know?
The outline of the operation of Replenishing Mankind?
Or the truth of Second Impact?
Or the aim of the ANGEL?
Or the relationship between ADAM and LILITH and EVA?
Or the identity of the men called the committee?
Or that of what we call "the spear"?
Or the aim of Commander Ikari. Or. Or. Or. Or.

Blue is the colour of the nervesPurple is the colour of the priest costumeRed is the colour of the arteries
Dang, Dang, Dang
The colours come into my sight
The illumination of a gunfightGrey is the colour of bombing
Taste of rust spreading in my mouth
Feeling rigid rocks beneath my feet
Dang, Dang, Dang
Drumming of primitive ages
Rhythm of insanity
Dance of the giants
Holding guns of madness
Dang, Dang, Dang
When humans were not humans
When they were neighbour of beasts
Memories were carved in their brain
With a knife of fury
Dang, Dang, Dang
The arms
Dang, Dang, Dang
The legs
Dang, Dang, Dang
The eyesDancing giants: coloured in blue, purple, and red
This is the village of the giants
There live the gods expelled from heaven's seats
Still is the sun shining above their heads

EVA-00Prototype. It is produced as an experimental model, the first Evangelion. The operator Rei Ayanami. Out of control right after starting and temporarily suspended. After suspension back to the battle field and terribly damaged. Afterward fixed the equipment and colour coating, back again.

EVA-01Test Type. The model produced with actual fighting in view. The operator, Shinji Ikari. Sent to the battle field immediately without testing. Even though a great deal of damage and out of control, succeeded in destroying the enemy.

There are some peculiarities to be mentioned about EVA-01. It made unbelievable results in actual fighting. Besides Commander Ikari's attachment and persistence, this model seems to be primarily protected. But it has been sent to fight so many times. Their intention unidentified. There is a possibility that they let it go out of control intentionally. We have to be careful about exchanging experiment between these EVAs. Some doubts about choosing the operators. Keep an eye on the Marduk Institute.

P.S.: Check again the record of the accident of Gendou Ikari's wife, Yui.

One boy
I'll tell you a few things about him
This boy is always looking for something
He seems so at least to me
He stops once in a while
He hesitates
He meditates
He never wants anything
He just stops without reason
The boy asks me something
As if he wanted to be saved
As if he was trying to get relievedWatermelons grow with water and the sunlight
Watermelon the only thing he got
But no human grow
With only watermelon and sunlight
What else has to follow?
A language, supports, and opponents
A lonely boy has nothing
So he is asking for themBut
He is a boy to whom two unfortunate things belong
He has no way of asking
I have no way of teaching
Therefore
I can do nothing but water the watermelons
In front of his kneesThe watermelon
This is the only thing I can choose
I know it is meaningless
The boy will find the way with his mind reckless
I strongly believe so

You see ruins everywhere
Shell mounds of ancient days the palace fallen into decay
The streets buried under clay
Gorgeous and enormous tumulus in the desert
To call the scar of human life a ruin
This place will be called soTOKYO-3
What will be left?
Future generations will find a titanium complex huge gun stuck to the ground?
Will they know this is the sign of the giant fighters
Is it a complete misunderstanding?
No
It might be correct
This city belongs to the giantsHumans are subject to them?
The relationship of master and servant is easily converted
The truth fades earlier than the ruins
In hundreds, thousands, and millions of years
An obscure mass is going to break into pieces
Future generations can't do anything but guess
Only if they survive till then
You see ruins everywhere
Maybe all over the world sometimes later

How long have I been away from writing a letter? I haven't seen my own handwriting for ages. It is so difficult like trying to pick up something fragile on a swinging boat. I don't know where I should begin. Am I afraid to start writing? I'm just trying to write to forget what I've seen. So I've made up my mind to write down only scraps of my own memory. EVA. These three letters from the word of the beginning. Perhaps it, I can tell now, might be the word of the ending. ADAM. That's a fragment of the truth. Tiny silver square box in my hand. It's so light as to hold easily with one hand. It is the weight of the truth. And it is the cost of my life spent there for several years. The boat swings again. The word swing away. With EVA and ADAM. I've never expected to see you again. I might have expected that it had finished by then. No! Here is the beginning of the end. I'm telling a lie even to myself. Dancing letters decorated with lies. If this letter were worth reading, the lies would be worth telling. It is so difficult like trying to get something fragile on a swinging boat. A liar can be a liar when he keeps his lie to his grave. So I decided to tell you a lie. I put this letter in the bottom of the baggage. Because no postman will come to pick it up.

How many letters have I written like this
I got used to writing letters to nobody
Do I just want to leave something
The proof that I lived my life here
What am I to think like this?Ridiculous!
This will be the last one
I always have a feeling of sinking down
I am in the swamp impossible to get out of
Who is dragging me down from the bottom
No, nobody is dragging
It is me who decide to step into the swamp
The truth I've seen can be worthy of my life?
Have I satisfied my soul?
Just a curiosity at the beginning
Not a sense of mission at all
But now I want to tell you the truth
I know this letter won't be sent to you
because I will never post it
Despite of it, I have tried to inform you
Do I want you to remember my existence?
Leave off talking to myself
It is meaningless
I'm just trying to take responsibility
I have to leave here nowI'll never write again

Seeing the scars of the battle
I almost feel dizzy
This is not only because of the burning sun
They say this town was made as a field only for the battle
So many skyscrapers
And everybody knows that
Each one of them is a spear and at the same time a shield
Far back in the past, man was trying to be God
And built a tower high enough to reach the sky
It, however, was broken down by the GodThe Apostles
Those who have the names of the angels
They are faithful servants sent by the GodHuman beings
Poor creatures
Why do they have to revel against God to satisfy their greed.
The scars of battle
A kind of dizziness, more like despair
I'm sure despair and death are waiting in the future
The human soul will never sing a song of the revival

-Untitled (handwriting on a piece of paper)-

The duplication of ADAM and LILITH. Because they are duplications they have no 'soul' to control themselves. Therefore it is essential for them to have 'operator' as their soul. The operators exchangeable only between EVA-00 and EVA-01. The reason unidentified. The living objects given the same genes pattern of humans. Their aim seems to contact with 'ADAM'. It is thought that they share the same mind. Their forms and acting formations, however, have a great variety.

Some doubts about commander Ikari's behaviour. Too many conflicts with "Replenishment Committee" that suggests the existence of two "The Operation of Replenishing". The details not clear yet. Commander Ikari suspected to have the connection with ADAM in underground. The chief of this committee is a man called KEEL. Confirmed the existence of the organization called "SEELE" behind it. The actual situation is under investigation. Connected to "the secret version of Dead Sea Scroll".

One conjunctureEvery human has a shield to protect his soul
Against unbearable agony
Avoid facing the reality
To protect his ego and dignity
Against unidentified objects
The soul has an advanced filter
Strong enough to stop thinking
An example is Cocktail Party Effects
Unconscious choice
The soul greatly effects the body
An example is Placebo Effects
Sometimes it makes a solid shell to lock himself in
Sometimes it takes a terrifying action to fight against the enemy
Defence and offence at the same time
It is only meant to protect his own spiritAT Field
Standing forAbsolute Terror Field
Sensing only maleficent military objects
The perfect wall to prevent from losing one's pride
It, however, repels and besides invades each other
Communication with others
One conjecture can be made
AT Field is a kind of wall of the soul

This was totally different from the battlefields I have ever known. I've seen Korea, Iran, Vietnam, Falkland Islands, and so on. No wonder there is a difference between them. You know the battlefields, where the people hurt each other and stain the ground with their blood. But this place is completely different. In here soldiers may seem humans to you, but in fact they are not. The wall prevents anyone without AT Field from coming over. You see neither tanks nor fighters. Throwing a dark shadow on your eyes, there goes a Giant. A multiple human-shaped fatal weapon; that is a humanoid called EVANGELION. The enemy are unidentified creatures with Angels' name. Seeing them fighting, it looks like a mad combative game. It is Pankration at the risk of the fate of the fate of human beings. TOKYO-3 is made a stage for the battle. We know there lived the slaves killing each other for fame. Are we insane spectators doomed to watch this sad and cruel game?

"... ... Katsuragi, it's me.
I'm sure you're listening to this message, after I caused you so much trouble.Sorry.
Please tell Rit-chan "I'm sorry."
And there's one more thing to trouble you with.
I've been growing flowers.
I'd appreciate it if you could water the flowers for me.
Shinji-kun knows where they are.
Katsuragi, the truth is with you.Don't hesitate. Move ahead!
If I can see you again, I will say the words that I could not say 8 years ago... Bye."